You can zip several files together to create one compressed file. Zipping files allows you to save hard drive space, send files more quickly over the Internet, and to attach certain file types (such as .exe) to emails. In Windows XP, Vista, and 7 you can either select each file and send them to a compressed folder or create a compressed folder and drag files to it. With Mac OS X, you use the "Compress" option with multiple files selected. This wikiHow describes each of these methods.

Steps

Method1

Zipping Files Together Using Windows Explorer

1

Select all the files you want to zip. You can hold down the Control (CTRL) key and select each file individually or hold down the Shift key and select the first and last file in a consecutive list of files.

2

Right-click on one of the files and point to "Send To." The file you choose to click on typically determines the name of the zip file.

You can rename the new zip folder to something more memorable. Either click (to select the file), pause, then click on the name below the file or right-click the file and select "Rename" from the submenu. The new name will automatically save when you hit Enter or click away from the file.

Method2

Zipping Files Together Using Drag and Drop

1

Right-click any empty space on the desktop. Select "New" from the submenu.

2

Choose "Compressed (zipped) File" from the menu. A zipped folder will appear on the desktop.

3

Move or copy all of your selected files into the compressed folder. The files will automatically be compressed as they are transferred into the new folder.

Method3

Zipping Files Together in Mac OS X

1

Select the items you wish to zip.

2

Select "Compress" in the "File" menu. When you compress multiple files together, a single new compressed file appears with the default name "Archive.zip." You can rename the file to something more memorable and personalized, as long as the .zip extension remains at the end of it. Either click on the file, pause, then click again or click on the file and hit Return to edit the name.

Community Q&A

Yes you can. A USB device is treated like any other file folder on Windows. So, all you have to do is create a zip archive using the steps outlined in the article, then drag and drop it to your USB drive.

I tried method three of three for Mac but there was little to no compression. Do I need to set compression parameters somewhere?

wikiHow Contributor

It's likely you are trying to compress files that do not compress very well (like PDF, graphics/pictures, music, and video). These files are often already compressed in their native format. The algorithms used by compression utilities like those built into Mac and Windows operating systems cannot compress these file types much further.

If this question (or a similar one) is answered twice in this section, please click here to let us know.

Video

Tips

Some file types are initially compressed. File types that come compressed include .rar, .tgz, .cab, .gz, and .mme. The size of these files will not be reduced if you manually compress them, as their size is already relatively small.

You can also use third-party zipping software to zip files together, though most modern iterations of Windows (XP, Vista, 7) and Mac OS X have native zipping functionality.

Warnings

Adding encrypted files to a compressed folder will cause them to be unencrypted.